I've tried the same thing on my iphone 3g and on a nokia 2680... Both phone have the same issue... When i touch left corner, both devices slowly lose signal... Maybe this issue on iphone 4 is more noticeable
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iPhone 4 Drops Calls when Left Corner is Touched
- Thread starter dagomike
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Well stated. Ham radio guy as well so we know how antenna impedance can affect a signal.
If it is actually dropping the call due to poor signal strength, I agree.
However, my theory is that the call is being dropped by iOS due to incorrect interpretation of the actual signal strength. In other words, iOS is dropping the call because of a software bug in the signal management firmware, it is not dropping due to an actual poor signal. Remember, they have already acknowledged that the bars are displaying incorrectly.
Just came from Woodfield
OK so I was just at woodfield schaumburg IL Apple store, for the 2nd time today, only this time I got to play with all the iphone 4's and I could not get one of the four I tried to do what people are saying. I am not saying anyone is making this stuff up but that I tried 4 display models with the wifi off and none did what is being described.
just saying..
X-
OK so I was just at woodfield schaumburg IL Apple store, for the 2nd time today, only this time I got to play with all the iphone 4's and I could not get one of the four I tried to do what people are saying. I am not saying anyone is making this stuff up but that I tried 4 display models with the wifi off and none did what is being described.
just saying..
X-
Apple stores and AT&T stores probably have micro cells in them, making it harder to prove in the store.
True, but having the software just address signal strength on the display won't fix actual signal degradation. If the firmware that processes 3G and/or wifi signals has poor reception from the antenna it will still drop the connection. Apple needs to tell us exactly what the software fix will do.
Agreed. But until then there isn't really much we can do other than if you're impulsive and return the phone. Apple will probably release an announcement if not a software fix by the end of the week.
It certainly has to do with the strength of the signal. I have the issue at home where I lose the signal completely, but while at the apple store with the same unit, I showed 5 bars regardless. It is certainly an issue.
Got my phone about an hour ago. I tried to duplicate the problem, with and without a case. Naked, my phone's bars don't drop when I touch the left corner. I have an iFrogz on it, and the bars still don't drop..
Sounds like a bad batch of phones to me.
Sounds like a bad batch of phones to me.
Can you try this in other locations? Perhaps in locations that you know have a history of bad reception.
Well, you are assuming the signal is actually degrading. If the only info you have is an incorrect display and eventual dropped call, which could be dropped by the bad software, then who knows?
Have you noticed that in all the videos, after the person bridges the antennas, the signal drops on a regular schedule; about 1 bar every 10 seconds. To me, that screams software. The phone is frantically going through a loop, switching bands, etc. If it was purely antenna physics, wouldn't the drop be more abrupt and less "timed"?
I just got off the phone with an Apple expert and he said he had been reading some stuff on the issue right before I called. He said he expects to get hammered by people calling about the same issue today, and that they are aware of it and will release an announcement in the next few days regarding a fix or if they will be doing warranty work on the devices.
I actually get degraded call quality - it gets muffled and choppy, and then ends up dropping off after a while. I suppose those things COULD be caused by the phone frantically trying different bands etc, however it also could be due to an actual ariel fault?
Or it could be because this iPhone 4 antenna issue only affects one of the two frequency bands AT&T uses (800 & 1900). The phones you tested might be using the frequency band unaffected by this issue.
My phone does it whenever my finger is on the bottom left side I hope it just a bad batch and not every phone
Just when I thought perhaps Apple was learning... Epic Fail.
Good thing my new iPhone 4 is not my main smartphone.
Thank goodness for Motorola and their Stellar Droid!
I've used it since the day it was released without any of the many problems the new iPhone 4 has.
Apple might want to go stick to iPods, as they sure don't seem to understand cellular technology.
Good thing my new iPhone 4 is not my main smartphone.
Thank goodness for Motorola and their Stellar Droid!
I've used it since the day it was released without any of the many problems the new iPhone 4 has.
Apple might want to go stick to iPods, as they sure don't seem to understand cellular technology.
Hmmm
I have a question...
For those who Don't have this problem, is your wifi and bluetooth off when holding the phone?
I'm guessing is a combination between the conductance of a persons skin, which features are turned on, and how you hold it. Likely to be worse where the 2 external antenna seams come together, bottom left and the top, anyone try killing the signal my "shorting" the top part of the phone in their hand?
This seems to work a lot like circuit bending, where you can modify how some electronics work, by using your body as an inline resistor between components.
I have a question...
For those who Don't have this problem, is your wifi and bluetooth off when holding the phone?
I'm guessing is a combination between the conductance of a persons skin, which features are turned on, and how you hold it. Likely to be worse where the 2 external antenna seams come together, bottom left and the top, anyone try killing the signal my "shorting" the top part of the phone in their hand?
This seems to work a lot like circuit bending, where you can modify how some electronics work, by using your body as an inline resistor between components.
Here is a video I made during a speed test that shows both gradual decline and a abrupt cut out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPpLydL68Oo
Just shot this video...
Take a look at what happens while running the Speedtest.net app on the new iPhone 4 and touching the bottom left corner where the seam is located.
You can clearly see the effect it has on both download and upload but it is really clear on the upload part of the test. It does this every time and consistently.
The speed actually starts to drop when you touch the side or pauses and then resumes climbing when you lift your finger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh5Q1vhgJ6s
Take a look at what happens while running the Speedtest.net app on the new iPhone 4 and touching the bottom left corner where the seam is located.
You can clearly see the effect it has on both download and upload but it is really clear on the upload part of the test. It does this every time and consistently.
The speed actually starts to drop when you touch the side or pauses and then resumes climbing when you lift your finger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh5Q1vhgJ6s
cnn is reporting on it
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/06/24/iphone.4.problems/index.html?hpt=C2
Editor's note: Did you pick up an iPhone 4? Go to CNN iReport's iPhone assignment and let us know what you think.
(CNN) -- As iPhone 4 buyers prepared to unbox their new smartphones on Thursday morning, some screamed with joy. Others trumpeted vuvuzelas.
But shortly after testing out the world's new "it" phone, some of those consumers turned to the internet to report problems with the new Apple product.
On Web forums and on blogs, some consumers posted videos and rants about the iPhone 4's new antenna, which is built into a metal rim around the phone and, some claim, causes the phone to get unnecessarily bad reception.
The blog Gizmodo has posted a roundup of the complaints. Several people say that when they hold the iPhone 4 by its metal sides -- essentially, when they're touching the antenna -- the reception gets worse or drops.
It's possible that this is a software glitch and not a real problem with the phone's hardware antenna, Gizmodo notes.
That's a point also made by Walter S. Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, who reviewed the iPhone 4 this month.
"In some places where the signal was relatively weak, the iPhone 4 showed no bars, or fewer bars than its predecessor," Mossberg writes. "Apple says that this is a bug it plans to fix, and that it has to do with the way the [wireless reception] bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call. And, in fact, in nearly all of these cases, the iPhone 4 was able to place calls despite the lack of bars."
On CNN's iReport, where citizens submit their own news, Keith Taylor of Sarasota, Florida, posted a glowing video review of the iPhone 4, but he did note issues with reception when he put his hand around the metal antenna.
Video: iPhone fever takes hold of consumers
Video: No riches for Apple's third co-founder
Video: Too much technology?
RELATED TOPICS
* Apple iPhone 4
* Cellular Phones
* Blogs and Blogging
* Gizmodo.com
"It grips well in your hand. The reception has improved, although it's slightly weaker than the [iPhone 3GS] when your hand's wrapped around the phone," he says in the video, which he shot with the new phone. "It also affects the Wi-Fi, but only by one bar, so hopefully not a noticeable difference."
CNN contacted Apple for comment but did not receive an immediate response. When the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, unveiled the new phone at an event in San Francisco, California, he said that making the antenna part of the body of the phone was "really cool engineering."
Some bloggers who got their hands on the iPhone 4 early -- it went on sale in stores Thursday morning but was available by internet pre-order before that -- put the phone through a number of stress tests.
The blog Engadget found that the iPhone is capable of being scratched, even after only a few days of wear and tear. Other owners of the new iPhone have reported that its much-touted "retina display," which is supposed to be among the sharpest in the industry, has an annoying yellow tint on some units.
In an apparent attempt to see how durable the phone is, one man posted a YouTube video of himself dropping the phone on concrete. Similarly, a popular YouTube show called "Will it blend?" promises to post a video on Friday showing whether the iPhone 4 will turn to mush if it's dropped into a kitchen blender.
On Thursday morning, other problems came with the phone's availability.
The phone was scheduled to be on sale at Apple Stores as well as at Radio Shack, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, but CNNMoney reported that most non-Apple stores had run out of the phones and were turning customers away.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/06/24/iphone.4.problems/index.html?hpt=C2
Editor's note: Did you pick up an iPhone 4? Go to CNN iReport's iPhone assignment and let us know what you think.
(CNN) -- As iPhone 4 buyers prepared to unbox their new smartphones on Thursday morning, some screamed with joy. Others trumpeted vuvuzelas.
But shortly after testing out the world's new "it" phone, some of those consumers turned to the internet to report problems with the new Apple product.
On Web forums and on blogs, some consumers posted videos and rants about the iPhone 4's new antenna, which is built into a metal rim around the phone and, some claim, causes the phone to get unnecessarily bad reception.
The blog Gizmodo has posted a roundup of the complaints. Several people say that when they hold the iPhone 4 by its metal sides -- essentially, when they're touching the antenna -- the reception gets worse or drops.
It's possible that this is a software glitch and not a real problem with the phone's hardware antenna, Gizmodo notes.
That's a point also made by Walter S. Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, who reviewed the iPhone 4 this month.
"In some places where the signal was relatively weak, the iPhone 4 showed no bars, or fewer bars than its predecessor," Mossberg writes. "Apple says that this is a bug it plans to fix, and that it has to do with the way the [wireless reception] bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call. And, in fact, in nearly all of these cases, the iPhone 4 was able to place calls despite the lack of bars."
On CNN's iReport, where citizens submit their own news, Keith Taylor of Sarasota, Florida, posted a glowing video review of the iPhone 4, but he did note issues with reception when he put his hand around the metal antenna.
Video: iPhone fever takes hold of consumers
Video: No riches for Apple's third co-founder
Video: Too much technology?
RELATED TOPICS
* Apple iPhone 4
* Cellular Phones
* Blogs and Blogging
* Gizmodo.com
"It grips well in your hand. The reception has improved, although it's slightly weaker than the [iPhone 3GS] when your hand's wrapped around the phone," he says in the video, which he shot with the new phone. "It also affects the Wi-Fi, but only by one bar, so hopefully not a noticeable difference."
CNN contacted Apple for comment but did not receive an immediate response. When the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, unveiled the new phone at an event in San Francisco, California, he said that making the antenna part of the body of the phone was "really cool engineering."
Some bloggers who got their hands on the iPhone 4 early -- it went on sale in stores Thursday morning but was available by internet pre-order before that -- put the phone through a number of stress tests.
The blog Engadget found that the iPhone is capable of being scratched, even after only a few days of wear and tear. Other owners of the new iPhone have reported that its much-touted "retina display," which is supposed to be among the sharpest in the industry, has an annoying yellow tint on some units.
In an apparent attempt to see how durable the phone is, one man posted a YouTube video of himself dropping the phone on concrete. Similarly, a popular YouTube show called "Will it blend?" promises to post a video on Friday showing whether the iPhone 4 will turn to mush if it's dropped into a kitchen blender.
On Thursday morning, other problems came with the phone's availability.
The phone was scheduled to be on sale at Apple Stores as well as at Radio Shack, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, but CNNMoney reported that most non-Apple stores had run out of the phones and were turning customers away.